Cutter-bar.



No. 875,878. PATENTED JAN. v, 1908. E. J. WOLFROM. CUTTER BAR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1907.

amozntoz attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

v ELI J. WOLFROM, F SALIDA, COLORADO.

corms-ans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed retm lecmv. Serial No. 366.103.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI -J .Wonrnoma citil zen of, the United States,residing at 'Salida,

in the county of Chaffee and State of Colorado, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Cutter-Bars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention-appertains to cuttin apparatus for harvesters, mowers andli e machines for cutting grain, grass and like growth whether in drillsor broadcast, the improvement relating most especially to the type ofcutting mechanism embodying an endless or chain cutter.

The invention consists rimaril'y of a reversible ledger late, novelfastening means for attaching t e ledger plate to the cutter bar, andpeculiar mountings for the endless cutter.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cutting apparatus embodying theinvention, parts being broken away and parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the parts on a larer scale. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view 0 a cutter section of thechain cutter. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an end portion of the ledgerplate showing a portion of the grain shoe provided with a set screw foradjusting the ledger plate to take up the wear.

Corresponding and like arts are referred to in the followin descriptionand indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

The cutter bar comprises a strip 1 and upper and lower plates 2 and 3,the same being connected'by suitable fastenings 4. Guard fingers 5 aresecured to the cutter bar preferably by means of'the same fastenings 4.The vertical extensions 6 near the tapered extnernities-of the: v andfingers have-cuts 7 extended inward Edna their rear edges to receive thetrout edge of the ledger plate. Projections 8 attached to the late 2have cuts 9 extended inward from t eir u ward edges to receive the rearedge of the edger plate. Race-ways 10 and 11 are provided in the frontand in the rear of the strip 1 and receive the links connecting thecutter sections of the endless or chain cutter. The ledger plate 12 isreversible and is formed in o posite ed es with notches 13. One edge 0each note is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the late as shownat 14, whereas the op osite 6 go 15 is inclined to said axis and beve edto a knife edge. The notches 13 in opposite edges of the ledger platealine transversely and are se arated by opposite projecting portions 19w ch enter the cuts 7 and 9 of the guard fingers 5 and projections 8.When it is required to reverse the ledger plate, the same is movedlongitudinally a distance to cause said projecting portions 19 to clearthe cuts 7 and 9, after which the ledger plate is lifted from the cutterbar and turned end for end and replaced upon the cutter bar and movedlongitudinally to cause corresponding portions 19 to enter the said cuts7 and 9. The cutter sections of the endless or chain cutter operateagainst the inclined cutting edges 15 of the ledger plate. The edges ofthe notches in opposite edges of the ledger plate are reverselyarranged, i. e., inclined edges of the notches at one edge of the ledgerplate are opposite the straightedges 14 of the corresponding edges inthe opposite edges of the ledger plate. It will t ius be understood thatwhen one set of edges become dull, the ledger plate may be reversed soas to bring a sharp set of cutting edges into position for operation. Tocompensate for wear incident to sharpening the cuttin edges of theledger plate, a set screw 16 is threaded into a lug 17 projected fromthegrain shoe 18, said set screw being arranged to engage the inner endof the ledger plate to move the same outward and hold it 1n adjustedposition.

The projecting portions 19 at opposite edges of the ledger plateintermediate of the notches 13 are adapted to have their ends ongage thecuts 7 and 9 of respectively the extensions 6 and the projections 8,thereby retaining the ledger plate in osition and holdin -it againstvertical dis acement at interva s throu hout its lengt The cutter bar isprovider? at its outer end with a circumferentially grooved idler and atits-inner end with a toothed driver 21 which is adapted to have rotarymovement imparted thereto in the usual manner. The endless or chaincutter comprises cutter sectlons 22 and links 23. Each cutter sectionembodies two outter teeth and the inner or rear edge thereof is providedwith a notch 2'4 having'one edge straight or abrupt and the other edge1nclined to correspond with the shape of the driver 21 as indicated mostclearly 111 Fig. 1.

The cutter sections travel beneath the le plate and over raised portions25 of t e guard fingers in the rear of the vertlcal extensions 6 thereofand forward of the'front race 10. The links and cutter sections have alimited lay and by having the cutting edges 1510f? the ledger platebeveled upon the upper side, the cutter sections 22, are drawn u ward;thelower side of the ledger pate. in t e operationi-..of-;the cuttingapparatus. The lower plate3fis provided at its front edge -withavertical flange 26 and at its,

rear edge with a vertical flange 27, said veridistance edges of thestrip .1 to form the races-10 and tical' fla es 26 and ZTbeing locatedsome from respectively the front and rear 11.-- The upper (plate 2 hasapendent flange 28' at its front e ge which overlaps the front ed e ofthe strip 1 and reinforces the same an l'sustain's the wear of the frontrun of the v :chain cutten} The rear edge ortion of the ft-plate 2projects in the rear oft e strip 1 and i-extends over the race 11' toclose the same v and extends in the rear of said race to form a orm ahousing *is recurved as' shown at 30 to ard 29'and the chain'ciltterlmowers and the i ter bar having spaced front and rear extensio L orprojecting parts having horizontal cuts in theirjopposm verticalfaces,'and a re- I Having thus described the invention, vWhais claime asnew is: 7 A, 1. In cuttin apparatus for harvesters,

' e, the combination of a cutversibleledgerlate avin opposin projectionsto enter t ,eafores'aid orizonta cuts by means of which-the ledger plateis'held in place in either adjusted position.

' vertical extensions near .tli'

having cuts extende' rearward-from the edges facing the said-ver fti'calextensions of thefguard fingers, and a reversible ledger plate" havingcorresponding In cutting apparatus forharvesters, mowers and the like, acutter bar com rising a strip andguard-fingers T;, the' ,latter avinir'frontends an ,fwardly from. their rear edges, projecti ns-.:,e'xte'nded upward from" the str1p j-5 and having cuts extended binclose the rear-portion of l a second p 'the strip jecting forwardtherefrom and having upwardly rojecting extensions at their outer ends,said extensions having forwardly ex tended cuts in their rear walls,projections extended upwardly from said bar and having rearwardlextended cuts in their front walls, saidi pro ections ucorresponding aroximately-in' number and position w1t the guard fingers, and a ledgerplate having corresponding projecting portions at opposite edges toenter the o posite res ectlve forwardly extended an rearwar y extendedcuts.

mowers and the l' e, the combination of a bar, guard fingers projectedforward from said bar and" having upwardly projecting extensions attheir outer ends having for-.

wardly extended cuts, projections extended upwardly from the said barand corresponding in position and number with the ardfin ers and havingrearwardly extende cuts 4., In cutting a paratus for harvesters,

in t eir front walls, and a ledger plate having registering notches inopposite edges to procutters, and having the portions between thenotches or cutters corresponding with; the aforesaid u wardly extend ngprojections and ada te to enter vthe respective orwardl exten ed andrearwardly extended cutst ereof. v

5. In cutting a paratus for harvesters,

mowers and the li e, the combination of a stri a plate attached to thelower side. of sai strip and pro'ected beyond the front and rear edgesthereo and having u wardly extended flanlges to form front an rearraces,

ate secured to the upper side of and having a pendent ange at its forwariedge' overlapping the front edge of 'said strip and having its rearportion extended over the rear race to form a housing and an endless or-chain cutter encircling the said strip and having portions adapted toop- I erate in the front/and rear races; 1

6. In cutting a stri a plate attached to the lower side of sai strip andprojected beyond the front and rear edges thereof and having upwardlyextended flanges to form front and rear races a second plate secured tothe iilipper side of t e strip and having a pendentange at its for-,ward edgeoverlappmg the front edge of said pparatus for harvesters, nmowers and the 11 e, the combination of a strip and having its rearportion'fextended In testimony whereof I affix my signature over therear race to form a housing and havin presence of two witnesses. ing itsrear ortion rebent to inclose a s ace in therearo said strip and anendless orc ain I ELI WOLFROM V sf] 5 cutter encircling the said striand having por- Witnesses:

tions adapted to operate in t e front and rear V. B. HILLYARD,

races. W. N. Woonson.

